THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1873.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIII, Issue 1618, 11 October 1873, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1873.

The Borough Council, at their meeting last evening", ' had several subjects of local importance presented to them for discussion, and discussed them more briefly than is their wont, though there was excuse, in. the subjects themselves and in the interest taken in them for more discussion than they received. For this brevity there is, perhaps, excuse in the exceptionally late '■ hour at^ which the Council invariably meet, and in the fact that the matters of discussion had been previously and thoroughly considered by Committees, but in one instance at least--the question of tonnage and wharfage rates — it might have been well to have given greater consideration to resolutions which imply the imposition of largely increased charges upon the trade of the port. As it was, a' pro- ; i position, for postponement of the matter wa3 negatived, the principle of •' increasing the wharfage rates was somewhat : silently assented to, and the Council proceeded at once to consider the items contained in the proposed schedule of charges,, with the result of endorsing in the ; majority of instances the recommendations of the Committee to whom the matter .had, ibeen .referred. .The ultimate result was that the Council " fixed and determined" a new schedule of rates,

and ordered the same to be gazetted Under the Greymouth Quays &6t\ 1869; It is^ of . .^interest to the commercial community that. /these rates should at once be known, their influence upon local trade being 1 only, if at all, inferior to the issue of a new colonial tariff, and we therefore publish them in anticipation of the Gazette, and to aid importers in making calculations for the future. The following are the adopted tonnage rates : —

1. On all sailing vessels entering in ballast for the purpose of loading with coal or timber, 6d per ton Tegister per trip. 2. On all sailing vessels, Is per ton register per trip. 3. On all steamers, 4d per ton register per trip. 4. All coasting steamers calling on the way to Hokitika not to charged on the return trip from that port. 5. On all lighters trading to the offing, or on all tug boats bringing in cargo from vessels in the offing, 8d per ton measurement for all cargo carried to the wharf. 6. On all tug steamers, a charge of 3d per ton on the registered tonnage of all vessels towed in by them. 7. A charge upon all steamers bringing in or taking out passengers at the rate of 44 per each passenger.

The wharfage rates agreed upon are equal to an increase pi a hundred per cent on the majority Uf the articles included in the schedule, the items being thus specified : — All coal, not landed on a portion of the wharf specially leased for that purpose, is per ton • '■ ; Brau, 2s per 60 bushels '■ Bricks, 5s per 1000 . Carrots, 2s per 22401 b Chaff, 2s per 22401 b Cattle, 2s 6d per head Dairy produce, bacon, beef, &c, 2s per 22401 b Flour, 2s per 20001 b r Fruit (green), 3d per case Grain, 2s per 40 bushels Horses. 2s 6d each ■ Lime, 2s per 22401 b ■■■ Machinery, 2s per 22401b ''"• Mangold Wurtzel. 2s per 22401 b•■ ■■ ■ ; Onions, 2s per 22401 b Potatoes, 2s per 22401 b . Palings, 2s per 1000 Sawn timber, 3d per 100 superficial feet Shingles, 6d per 1000 Sheep and pigs, 3d each Slates, 3s per 1000 Turnips, 2s per. 22401 b Two-wheeled Vehicles, 2s 6d each Four-wheeled Vehicles, 5s each Poultry, Id per head Hides, Id each Logs and square Timber, 2d per 100 superficial feet All other goods, 2s per ton It very naturally suggested itself that, with the wharfage rates thus increased, the wharf should be a wharf not only in name but in fact, and we understand that, before the close of the meeting, attention to the necessity for improved accommodation by the construction of approaches was directed by Councillor Moore. In an indirect, though no doubt sincere, if somewhat satirical manner, attention was directed to the same matter by one of our local importers, Mr Girdwood, when he presented to the Council last evening an account for the modest sum of six shillings for "trucking goods to a place; of landing from the wharf." According to the resolution of the Council, Mr Girdwood's little account was not received, but he will; no doubt, find solace for 1 the loss of the six shillings in the circumstance that the moral which the charge was meant to convey found its way, not to the custody of the Finance Ppmmittee, but to the consciences of the Council as a whole. ,

Several of the Directors of the Greymouth Coal-mining Company proceeded yesterday ibo the locality in which the Company commenced operations, and personally inspected the dri ,c from which an excellent specimen of coal has already been obtained. They had every reason to be thoroughly satisfied with the amount of work which has been done since the drive was commenced, and their probable recommendation will bp that for a time the work should be proceeded with in the same direction. The workmen are still following Jbhe so-called "fault " through a fine deposit of coal which may at any moment open up in so an extensive field, but whatever may, be the result, the present expenditure will have the effect of determining the true locality of the coal, and of enabling their new manager to fix with ; some accuracy the precise point at which to commence operations for the full development of the mine.

; One of the subjects discussed by the Borough Council; last- evening was the question whether the present Town Hall should be repaired * and refitted according to the plans submitted by Mr Eiss^nhardt, or .whether a committee should be appointed to report upoE the selection of a site for a new hall. Mr Smith proposed a committee for the purpose stated, and suggested a plan by which a hall might be economically erected. Mr Moore moved the amendment adopting the plans for repairing the present hall, and, after some discussion, the amendment was carried ; one of the reasons urged against i Mr Smith's project being that the Council was not at present in a position to incur the liabilities which it would involve. We understand that the usual practice cricket matoh between the members of the Greymouth Cricket Club will be played on the Camp Reserve this afternoon. The weather has now set in favorably for practising at the noble game, and we hope to see a good attendance. Wickets will be pitched at two o'clock. We understand that Mr Thomas Horton, the present County Treasurer, has accepted the appointment of Mana er to the Fiji and New Zealand Banking and Investment Company. • It is announced that the proceeds of the offertory at the services to-morrow in Trinity Church here will be devoted to the Sunday School Fund. The following is a literal copy of a letter received by us yesterday :— to the Editor of the Grey .Kiver Aigus Oct 7th 1873 Sir can you inform a taxpayer the thickness of public works tender Committee mens hides and if you think Armstrongs could make any lmpresionr— Job. • The Committee of the Nelson Exhibition have published the f ollowing address to " our West Coast friends "i— "The Committee need hardly point out to our friends on the Coast that our coming Exhibition is to them a matter o£ the highest possible importance. As a Committee, we have so much to do that it is almost impossible to write formal letters to the different districts, and we assure the residents on the Coast that if they will kindly let us off this bit of red tape formality, and still do what vthey canto help this ExI hibition by forming Local Committees to collect epecimens and other exhibits, we shall i fully appreciate their kindness. This is a matter in which people of eyery class and in j every part of the Province are equally in- 1 tereated,. and nothing will give the Com-; mittee greater pleasure than to find the inhabitants of the romoto districts putting

their shoulders to the wheel to make our Provincial Exhibition a success. They may be assured of any assistance it is in the power of the Committee to give them, and that every possible care shall be taken to place their exhibits in suitable places, and to protect them from injury. We shall also be glad to add to the Committee the name of any gentleman recommended by the residents of any gold-fields district/ What we really desire is the advice and assistance of _ the residents on gold-fields and coun ry districts ; and we emphatically say to everyone in the Province— Come forward and help us ! " Mr John White, M. H.R., arrived ;by the Murray yesterday. His departure from Wellington was delayed by illness, from which he has not thoroughly recovered yet. Sergeant ash, of the Nelson police force, arrived at Hokitikaper the Murray, for the purpose of conveying Peter Mulvey, recently sentenced to eight years' imprisonment, to the Kelson gaol. Within a few weeks not less than L 1.40,000 of Southern capital has been invested in the purchase of land in the Province of Hawke's Bay. The greater amount of this money was the produce of the sheep and wool of the South. From the Westport Times we learn that the high tide on Sunday last again sent the surf rolling right up to the doors of the dwelling-houses in Kennedy street, and at times for some distance round the corn r of Palmerston street. And at low water very plain evidences are visible that the beach between high water mark and Kennedy street has now, in common parlance, a face on it, making the way clear for a more dangerous encroachment. Dwellers in the locality are anxiously looking out for sections whereon to effect removal, but, unfortunately for them, although occupying one of the most dangerous sites in the- town, the emergency was not considered sufficiently urgent by the Sections Commission to necessitate any new sections being granted them, as in the case of their more fortunate or favored neighbors. We learn that a mirier from Woodstock named John Horseman, who was admitted to the Hokitika Hospital at about half •past ten o'clock on Thursday morning, suffering from infltmation of the Jungs, died suddenly shortly before four o'clock in the afternoon. At the criminal sitting of the Supreme Court at Christchurch, on the (jfch insfc., the Grand Jury came into Court to consult the Judge on a case of embezzlement. They, thought that the indictment was not good, inasmuch as the evidence did not disclose any attempt on the part of the prisoner to conceal having received the money, and" the Grand Jury, therefore were in doubt as to whether this could be held to be embezzlement. On communicating with his Honor in Court, he confirmed the view of the Grand Jury, stating that where there was no attempt at concealment, and where the accused, as in this, case, acknowledged to having received the money, it was not embezzlement. [ " The Grand Jury therefore threw ouc the bill. I The new bridge over the Totara river was , (says the Boss Guardian) opened for traffic I on Wednesday. Mr Frew arrived about.three I o'clock in the afternoon, and, after exr amining the structure, he expressed himself Ij highly satisfied at the manner in which the work had been carried out, and passed the ' bridge. Messrs Cuming and M'Kay's waggon r was the first vehicle that crossed the bridge, " being driven by Mr James Roseborough. ■ ■ After the waggon crossed, Mr Smith, the *■ contractor, invited the visitors to a chams pagne lunch at Mr Kennedy's Totara View " Hotel, when success to the bridge and Mr , Smith's health were drank in bumpers. The :- honor of christening the bridge fell to the c lot of Mr Curie, who broke a 'bottle' of c champagne on the wheel of a waggon, and c named it the Totara Bridge. l 8 A Grahamsfcown telegram of September 24 c says "the yield of gold for the month c amounts to 82780z from 7545 tons of stone crushed." One of the finest plantations of blue gums ' in Otago Province is at the farm of Mr Neill, h Forest Hill. These trees, which number y between 300 to 400, were planted about eight i- years ago, and have now attained a height of d between 20 aud 30ft, with proportionate n diameter. Singular to relate, they have y never been affected by even the moso severe d frosts, At present they form a splendid n avenue, aud afford capital shelter.